Hallucinogen Treatment Program
Too often, hallucinogen use leads to delusional thinking. Like any other addict, these individuals emphatically swear that nothing’s wrong with them: it’s the world that needs to change. In these cases there is no question about the toll hallucinogenic drug use takes on the family. Over time, family members see the drug user as incredibly selfish, elevating drug use above family safety. Hallucinogenic drug abusers risk their health, their jobs, and even their sanity.
First of all it’s important that individuals understand exactly what they are ingesting. At Morningside, clients in Phase I attend educational seminars that explain the science behind how hallucinogens alter the mind and thought processes. For example, PCP was developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic; it was never intended to be smoked. PCP is manufactured by “cooks,” and repeated smoking of PCP causes serious brain damage. Likewise it was once thought that LSD was mind expanding, not brain damaging. Over the course of treatment, clients learn about the actual dangers associated with hallucinogenic drugs.
Clients stay at our secure and serene residential houses. Newport Beach is a great area for recovery; it is our belief that recovery should occur within a genuine community as opposed to a mountain retreat. In this way, clients deal with daily living such as going to the beach or the gym, yet remain safe from negative influences. This is part of the overall culture at Morningside that supports recovery. For example, residential treatment features a variety of living arrangements, including a house where clients can bring their pet. Research has proven that companion animals are greatly therapeutic.
All clients are assigned a case manager and a primary therapist. Morningside’s Phase I program features an ongoing, comprehensive assessment of a client’s needs. This process includes psychiatric and psychological evaluations to determine a client’s current status and to help the treatment team to maintain a dynamic, individualized plan. This Phase also includes working with a primary therapist. Individual and group sessions specifically focus on the needs of the client. These groups are facilitated by clinical psychologists and are intended to allow the client to focus on emotional management, and deal with any lingering consequences of hallucinogen use.
Major emphasis is placed on individual and group therapy sessions that concentrate on real-life situations. For example, Morningside therapists are experts in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). Research has demonstrated that CBT is effective at treating the part of the mind affected by hallucinogen use. In particular, clients find that CBT provides not only the personal insight they were perhaps seeking with drugs, but offers “thinking tools” to use in everyday life. These tools help them meet the world in realistic terms, instead of seeking a temporary alternate reality. CBT is flexible and specific, which appeals to individuals who view themselves as unique. It is also compatible with a range of other treatments the client may receive, such as pharmacotherapy.
Every client’s case manager has in-depth knowledge about what the client has gone through. Clients continue to meet with their case manager on a weekly basis to discuss treatment plans, progress and other issues. As clients progress through Phase I, individualized treatment continues. One client shared, “When I came to Morningside all I cared about was myself. I thought I was into mind expanding, but really I was sucked up into my own head. As I started to do the work in therapy, I realized that a lot of my thinking was just plain stupid or crazy. I began to finally feel better about myself and my place with my family and others.” It doesn’t matter how many LSD trips a client has taken, or how far they’ve crawled on PCP; our treatment philosophy is that any addiction or diagnosis benefits from sobriety.
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